Landscape processes play a fundamental role in pest population dynamics. In particular, natural and semi-natural habitats, despite delivering important ecosystem services, can also support insect pest populations by providing refuge during pesticide applications, suitable overwintering sites and availability of alternative host plants. This work aimed at investigating the relationship between the distribution and damage of Drosophila suzukii, an invasive polyphagous pest, and landscape processes at multiple spatial scales. D. suzukii recently invaded Europe causing considerable economic damage on several thin-skinned fruits. The management of this pest is particularly complex due to its high dispersal potential, mobility and polyphagy. First, we studied the influence of landscape complexity on D. suzukii distribution and crop damage. During the growing season, semi-natural habitats enhanced population density and damage in cherry orchards. In particular, orchards within forested-dominated landscape appeared to be more susceptible to D. suzukii attacks. Second, we examined at large geographical scale the temporal dynamics and synchronization of D. suzukii activity along steep elevational gradients in Alpine environments. Due to the high dispersal potential and mobility, the insect revealed an extremely high synchronization of population fluctuations across different locations and elevations. Considering the emerging problems linked to the invasion of D. suzukii across several temperate countries, our work emphasized the need to incorporate landscape processes to understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of pest populations across complex landscapes
Spatio-temporal dynamics of Drosophila suzukii populations: A landscape perspective
Tonina L.;Mori N.
2022-01-01
Abstract
Landscape processes play a fundamental role in pest population dynamics. In particular, natural and semi-natural habitats, despite delivering important ecosystem services, can also support insect pest populations by providing refuge during pesticide applications, suitable overwintering sites and availability of alternative host plants. This work aimed at investigating the relationship between the distribution and damage of Drosophila suzukii, an invasive polyphagous pest, and landscape processes at multiple spatial scales. D. suzukii recently invaded Europe causing considerable economic damage on several thin-skinned fruits. The management of this pest is particularly complex due to its high dispersal potential, mobility and polyphagy. First, we studied the influence of landscape complexity on D. suzukii distribution and crop damage. During the growing season, semi-natural habitats enhanced population density and damage in cherry orchards. In particular, orchards within forested-dominated landscape appeared to be more susceptible to D. suzukii attacks. Second, we examined at large geographical scale the temporal dynamics and synchronization of D. suzukii activity along steep elevational gradients in Alpine environments. Due to the high dispersal potential and mobility, the insect revealed an extremely high synchronization of population fluctuations across different locations and elevations. Considering the emerging problems linked to the invasion of D. suzukii across several temperate countries, our work emphasized the need to incorporate landscape processes to understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of pest populations across complex landscapes
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